Bruce Wayne (Batman)
Fear of Bats When young, Bruce fell through wood beams covering a hole in the ground. He landed in a cave and was swarmed by bats. Bruce was rescued by his father, Thomas Wayne, and this moment is what made Bruce fear bats. Death of Parents When out to see a play with his parents, many bats appeared on stage. Bruce saw flashbacks of the time he fell into the cave. When he became too uncomfortable to watch the play, he and his parents exited through the back of the theater. Once out in the back alley, the Waynes were confronted by a gunman, Joe Chill, who was attempting to rob them. Both of Bruce's parents were shot and killed in the incident. Becoming the Batman Life as a Criminal After the death of Joe Chill, Bruce decided he needed to change his life. Bruce ventured off into foreign countries, stealing the goods of his own enterprise. He began to live the life of a criminal, but could never be charged since the goods he was stealing were his own. Training with the League of Shadows Bruce trained with the leader of the League of Shadows, Ra's al Ghul. Bruce first learned the art of combat and stealth. Some of the features of his Batsuit sere inspired by armor he wore when training with Ra's. The most notable pieces of armor he copied were the gauntlets, since the spikes on the side of them help the user withstand blows from close quarter weapons, like swords. In the end, Bruce was forced to face his fears. This is done through the use of a blue flower, which create a hallucinogenic effect on whoever is exposed. While under the effects of this drug, Bruce must find and defeat Ra's among many men. When Bruce learns of Ra's al Ghul's plans to destroy Gotham, Bruce destroys the training grounds. However, Bruce saves Ra's from an imminent death of falling off the side of t he mountain. Creating the Idea of Batman Once Bruce returns to Gotham, he decides that he will help fight against crime. Bruce knows that he needs something to hide the fact that he is Bruce Wayne from everyone who sees the vigilante. He decides that he will make the criminals fear what he has feared for so long, which makes him decide to become the Batman. With the help of Lucius Fox, Bruce takes military equipment developed by Wayne Enterprises to be as fully equipped as possible. The Battle of Batman Begins Scarecrow Batman battles with Scarecrow in Batman Begins as Scarecrow is used to disperse his fear toxin. Mainly, Batman's main fights with Scarecrow have to do with protecting Rachel, as Scarecrow's real world occupation is that of an psychiatrist. Scarecrow appears in the court to argue that the criminals are insane and should not be imprisoned. Ra's al Ghul Ra's al Ghul is the leader of the League of Shadows. He first trains Bruce to become a member, which is what gave Bruce the skills he uses to be the Batman. However, Bruce leaves Ra's and the League of Shadows when he realizes they are extremely immoral. Bruce battles Ra's when he realizes Ra's plans to infect all of Gotham with Scarecrow's fear toxin so that all of Gotham will crumble. Ra's believes Gotham must be destroyed to become better. ''The Dark Knight'' Love Triangle with Rachel and Harvey Rachel gets caught in the conflict of choosing who she wants to be with, Bruce or Harvey. Both Bruce and Harvey are expecting to be with her, as Harvey proposes to Rachel and Bruce gets confirmation that she will leave him if he gives up life as the Batman. However, Alfred finds out that Rachel has chosen Harvey and does not tell Bruce. What is interesting is that neither Bruce or Harvey seem to see each other as a threat as it comes to having a relationship with Rachel. Relationship between Bruce and Harvey Bruce strongly endorses Harvey as the district attorney of Gotham, as he has high conviction rates. Bruce views Harvey as the only person who can stand up to the likes of the mobs without wearing a mask. Thus, Bruce views Harvey as someone could end the need for a Batman. Harvey acts as the one person who could help Bruce be with Rachel, while also being the only competitor for Rachel. Battles Two Face After Harvey loses his sanity, he becomes Two Face and begins to wreak havoc on Gotham. Harvey blames Gordon for the loss of Rachel and decides to kidnap Gordon's family. Harvey kidnaps Gordon's family to make sure Gordon knows how it feels to lose a loved one. Batman comes to the scene to try to stop Harvey. The Joker The Joker becomes a prominent villain in Gotham to compete with the Batman. The Joker is willing to do whatever it takes to get to the Batman because he views the whole act as fun. The Joker kills many innocents, including the police commissioner and Rachel, and nearly kills Harvey Dent. The final altercation between the Joker and Batman happens in a construction zone where he has disguised the criminals as hostages and the hostages as criminals. The Dark Knight Rises Selina Kyle (Catwoman) Bruce first interacts with Selina when she steals from his home. They meet again when Bruce runs into her at a charity event hosted by Miranda Tate. They meet again as Catwoman and Batman when she tries to steal a device called "clean slate," which would allow her to start a fresh life. However, she gets caught in the act and has to run. She is then joined by Batman, who fights with her to get away from the men following her. Selina later leads Batman to Bane in the sewer system, which leads to their battle. When Bruce returns to Gotham later in the film, he asks Selina to help him one last time. Selina uses the Batcycle to clear a path by destroying debris. She asks Bruce to leave with her. However, when Bruce says he can't she leaves. Selina comes back to save Bruce and to help stop the nuclear bomb. Bane Batman's main conflict with Bane is that Bane is trying to take control of Gotham to complete Ra's al Ghul's plan. Batman is led by Catwoman to Bane in the sewers of Gotham. Here, Batman is forced to fight Bane after being trapped in the living quarters of Bane and his followers. While in the Pit, Bruce has to watch the downfall of Gotham on a television in his cell. Bruce attempts to ascend out of the Pit, but he fails each time when he is attached to the harness. However, once Bruce attempts to ascend without the harness, he succeeds. Bruce then returns to Gotham as the Batman and starts an uprising against Bane and his forces. Bruce as Batman is able to defeat Bane in a final fight by aiming for his mask. Bane's mask numbs the pain from his beatings, and, by attacking the mask, Batman is able to make an overwhelming pain subdue Bane. Talia al Ghul (Miranda Tate) Miranda Tate takes control over the Wayne Enterprises board. Miranda seduces Bruce and becomes one of his love interests of the film. Miranda uses her cover as the head of the board to help Bane and his men take control of Gotham and get many weapons to aid him. Towards the end of the film, Miranda's true intentions are revealed. End of the Conflict Batman flies away with the bomb into the horizon. It appears that Batman dies in the explosion. Bruce's Happiness Throughout the Series Batman Begins Joe Chill The most consistent traumatic event that Bruce Wayne faces throughout any of the Batman films is the death of his parents, as they are murdered as they exit a theater by Joe Chill. This first trauma isn’t portrayed as something that Bruce is resilient toGilbert, Daniel. “Paradise Glossed.” Pursuing Happiness, edited by Matthew Parfitt and Dawn Skorczewski, Bedford/St. Martin's, 2016, pp. 96-105. In fact, Bruce is portrayed as completely without hope, as he tries to murder Chill upon his release from prison. In this scene, Bruce is seen wearing many concealing layers as he hides in the darkness out of sight.Huang, Bruce. Batman Begins (clip2-2) "But it's noting without the people who made it what it was." YouTube,22 Jan 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgxb6rTAYI0. Being out of sight and in the darkness might initially suggest to the viewer that Bruce is trying to hide what he is trying to do. However, as the scene goes on, we watch Bruce emerge from the darkness and into the light as Chill leaves the courtroom, suggesting that Bruce wants everyone to know that he was the one to kill his parents’ murderer. Bruce’s wealth and status would normally suggest that he would hire someone to kill for him and not be in the heat of the action because he would be risking everything for revenge. However, Bruce believes he is losing nothing. Bruce throughout his life has never had a future; he was robbed of his future as a child, as he grew up with no parents and the only constant in his life was his butler Alfred. Although Alfred can be seen as an extension of Bruce’s family, Alfred is old and will only be with Bruce as long as Bruce stays in Wayne Manor. The idea of Bruce believing he doesn’t have a future is exemplified when he talks to Rachel about Wayne Manor: “But it’s nothing without the people who made it what it was.”Batman Begins. Directed by Christopher Nolan, performance by Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, and Gary Oldman, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2005. Bruce makes this remark to show that every point forward from the death of his parents has meant very little to him, at least in comparison to the time spent with his parents. Although at the current point in the film his parents’ deaths are in his past, it is also his present and future. Bruce is stuck thinking about what his life would have been and would continue to be if his parents were around for his childhood. Therefore, the one thing Bruce has at stake in this situation is his future, but Bruce doesn’t believe he has one. The Facade and Rachel After Bruce has become the Batman, he runs into Rachel after exiting a restaurant with two women to promote his new playboy lifestyle. Bruce first appears wet, as he has just come out of a pool, wearing a black suit with white dress shirt and smiles upon seeing Rachel. In this sceneParadoxBoxs. What You Do That Defines You. YouTube, 22 Jul 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GurL-EflShY. , the lighting is much brighter, as at this moment in time, Bruce is starting to feel some sense of fulfillment for what he is doing with his life. Bruce and Rachel discuss how they’ve been, and Bruce is happy to see he may have a future with someone whose goals are like his. However, Rachel cannot see it that way, as she has no idea of Bruce’s other identity. Rachel assumes that Bruce has taken on the life of the average playboy, who uses their wealth to contribute nothing or little to society. If anything, Rachel leaves this conversation with a lesser opinion of Bruce as he has tricked her as well with his façade. The scene is interesting since it contains one of the most famous quotes from the film, which is repeated later in the film. Rachel says to Bruce after he says he is good on the inside, “It’s not who you are underneath. It’s what you do that defines you.” Rachel says this and then leaves into the light that Bruce just left, leaving Bruce alone in the darkness of the city. It is interesting how as Bruce starts to imagine a future with Rachel, she quickly takes the idea away from reality. Bruce is caught in a situation where everything he does is done by who he is underneath (Batman) and is unable to show anyone this side of him. Everything that Bruce and Rachel have in common is only apparent to him, as Rachel does not know that Bruce is Batman. Thus, Bruce understands that he may not have this future with Rachel, which causes him to lose his smile, as he will eventually leave to go back into the darkness behind him. The Batman and Rachel At the end of the film, we see Bruce and Rachel interact again, after she discovers he is Batman. They stand together in the blackened remains of what used to be Wayne Manor, as Ra's al Ghul and the League of Shadows had burned it down earlier in the film. Bruce and Rachel talk and walk out from the original area, and we can see an open green field and the sun partially glowing down from behind them. Interesting revelations are made during this scenegrayfox36. Batman Begins - Surveying the Ruins. YouTube, 13 Apr 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL8DsJEM7nE. Rachel admits that she loves Bruce, as Bruce loves her, but that she loves the old Bruce. Rachel believes that the old Bruce isn’t with them right now, as Bruce is Batman. In Rachel’s eyes, Batman has become the person and Bruce the mask. However, she does give Bruce some hope. Rachel says that maybe when the Batman is no longer needed that the old Bruce may return, implying that they could be together. This gives Bruce hope for the future, as he now believes he can finally have people to be with until the end. The scene is a way to show Bruce’s new, optimistic views on his future, and thus his happiness. The visuals show this, as we see Bruce smile again, and at Bruce’s back is this angelic sunlight falling from the top of the frame. The light and the smile show Bruce’s perceived goodness of his life at this time, as he finally has approval of himself and those who care about him. Bruce is happy because he has finally found a direction in life, and no longer feels like he is trudging along with nothing in his future. The Dark Knight Future with Rachel This sceneHaynesworth, Theron. The Dark Knight: Bruce Wayne and Rachel Dawes. YouTube, 10 Apr 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49AYdFmRN3A. takes place in Bruce’s very large skyscraper apartment, where he and Rachel talk to each other in the dark. What is interesting about this scene is that for the majority of it, we are made to believe that Bruce will put away the mask and turn himself in to the police in order to be with Rachel. This is contrary to many of the other scenes where we see Bruce hopeful for a relationship with Rachel, as the lighting is very dark. The only lighting is in the distance, similar to how Bruce’s potential future with Rachel is slipping away. Rachel tells Bruce, “Bruce don’t make me your one hope for a normal life.”The Dark Knight. Directed by Christopher Nolan, performances by Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2008. Bruce sets his future, and happiness, all on one person. Bruce has spent his whole life believing that Rachel is his only certain future. Bruce’s idea of his future makes it difficult for him to do the one thing that would let him be with his future, turn himself in. He realizes that he might not be able to have the future he has been waiting for when Rachel says, “Bruce, if you turn yourself in they’re not gonna let us be together.” This is the start of the downfall of Bruce’s happiness, as he starts to realize he cannot be with his future. Again, Bruce is losing the future he was presented as a child, and he will not be able to have it again. Death of Rachel After Rachel’s death, the first time we see Bruce is in the darkness of his apartment early in the morning, with no lights. Bruce is still in the Batman suit, without the mask, and Alfred comes over to him to bring him foodDark Legend. The Dark Knight - Rachel's Death. YouTube, 26 Nov 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gGbAA_-IC4. This is where we first see Bruce lose any hope of a good future again. Not only has he lost the love of his life, but he cannot put away the mask any more, as he has allowed the Joker to attack the new face of Gotham (Harvey Dent). The lighting sets the mood in a similar way to scenes from Batman Begins, which depict Bruce’s lack of hope for a future. Not only can Bruce no longer give up the mask, but Bruce no longer has anybody to give it up for. Bruce is again like he was at the start of the trilogy, he has nothing to look forward to in his life. The one thing Bruce longs for in his future is family, as he has never had a lasting relationship with anybody he considers family except for Alfred. In some ways, The Dark Knight resembles Bruce’s quest to kill Joe Chill. Bruce only went after Joe Chill because he believed he had nothing to lose, nothing to look forward to. The Joker’s has created a similar situation. In an earlier scene, Bruce admits that he cannot compete with somebody like the Joker who has no morals with the rules he upholds as the Batman. Throughout the rest of the film, Bruce puts the Batman on a death wish type of mission. This is not to say the Batman doesn’t give it his all to try and stop those who have wronged Gotham. If anything, this empowers the Batman. In Batman Begins, Bruce created the Batman to make criminals feel as he does, afraid and without hope. Bruce’s quest for happiness weakens his ability to be the Batman and causes harm to those around himJoshanloo, Mohsen, and Dan Weijers. “Aversion to Happiness across Cultures: A Review of Where and Why People Are Averse to Happiness.” Pursuing Happiness, edited by Matthew Parfitt and Dawn Skorczewski, Bedford/St. Martin's, 2016, pp. 267-283., as his new hopes and fears have made him a worse fighter. The Dark Knight Rises Darkness of Wayne Manor Bruce hosts Harvey Dent Day outside of his home at the beginning of The Dark Knight Rises. Bruce, however, does not participate at all during the day and stays in his home. It is completely dark, as he has grown out a mangy beard and only wears a dark robe. At this point in time, he has given up being Batman due to him taking the blame for Harvey’s death. Bruce’s appearance and the lighting of the scene demonstrates Bruce’s lack of interaction with society. Bruce distances himself from everything because he no longer hopes for any sort of future. Everything Bruce’s life was and everything he hoped his life could be had been taken away from him, and at this point in time Bruce had no hope of trying to find something new. Bruce's life depicted in the three films so far shows no sign of Bruce being resilient to trauma, if anything he has become less resilient. Even if we take the idea that happiness fluctuates into account, Bruce only shows brief glimpses of hope. Bruce's happiness for the most part shows little fluctuation, it is a flat line residing in unhappiness with some anomalies that increase his happiness for brief amounts of time. Bruce's incapacity to become happy again demonstrates the idea that people have no resilience as it comes to traumatic events if they have nothing to look forward to. Bruce Gets His Future In one of the last scenes of the filmTaliadoros, Alex. The Dark Knight Rises – Ending ***1080p PURE HD***. YouTube, 18 Nov 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYj4Aq5fdjk., the viewer sees Alfred go to a café in Florence. He sits down and looks across the café to see Bruce with Selina. This scene is in contrast to many of the other scenes from the trilogy, as Bruce is wearing more vibrant colors of clothing going along with the brighter lighting of the scene. Bruce is wearing a lavender, unbuttoned dress shirt with a white t-shirt underneath. He looks over at Alfred and smiles. For once in the series, Bruce looks truly happy. The scene is a reference to something Alfred says earlier in the film: ALFRED. [to Bruce] Remember when you left Gotham? Before all this, before Batman? You were gone sever years. Seven years I waited, hoping that you wouldn't come back. Every year, I took a holiday. I went to Florence, there's this cafe, on the banks of the Arno. Every fine evening, I'd sit there and order a Fernet Branca. I had this fantasy, that I would look across the tables and I'd see you there, with a wife and maybe a couple of kids. You wouldn't say anything to me, nor me to you. But we'd both know that you'd made it, that you were happy. I never wanted you to come back to Gotham. I always knew there was nothing here for you, except pain and tragedy. And I wanted something more for you than that. I still do.The Dark Knight Rises. Directed by Christopher Nolan, performances by Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Anne Hathaway, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2012. Alfred noticed that anything Bruce ever had hoped to gain in Gotham had been lost, whether it was his parents or the love of his life (Rachel). Bruce could never truly be happy in Gotham, as any happy future he could imagine ended up being unattainable. Bruce always just wanted to be happy, but Bruce continued to look in the wrong places. This created the fluctuation of happiness that Bruce experiences, and it is also part of the reason Bruce could never recover. Bruce never sought a future that he could have, but he would continue to hope for it to become a reality. Bruce’s failure to obtain any future he had imagined caused him to only become more and more unhappy every time he failed to obtain it. The reason Bruce appears to have changed so much at the end of the film is because now he has obtained a future with Selina. Conclusion The way Nolan depicts Bruce’s level of happiness throughout the series is an interesting way to look within the human psyche. This version of Bruce Wayne reinforces the idea that happiness is constantly fluctuating and that the pursuit of happiness can actually bring about unhappiness to everyone. However, this version of Batman brings new meaning to what it means to be resilient as it comes to happiness. As far as we can see in the depiction of Bruce Wayne, Bruce only has any sort of resilience when he is fighting for a new future. To truly overcome any traumatic events faced in life requires people to make drastic changes in their lives. Bruce seeks to create a family because he did not have the opportunity to have a family of his own, even when he was a child. People cannot start to become happy again until they start to see a possible future they could enjoy. However, people cannot maintain this level of happiness until they begin this new future.